San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-11-17
Western Correspondence.
To the Free Press.

To the Free Press.
1t is the wane OF the late summer
OF dear 81, 80 old and yet 30 youngl
The "Canon" is adorned with the
livery Of tie "Dreary November"
Banks which in August found gay
with wealth OF summertime blooms,
now glow with the deeper and softer
tints OF the Autumn. One royal
flower we measured and fonnd it to
be inst FIVE inches from the tip of one
petal to the opposite, it is called the
"Yellow Rose Of Texas.
A dainty blossom which 1 found
growing profusly in q marshy bank
bears trailing feathery sprays OF lilac
tinted. daisy shaped flowers that ex-
hale IN odor as delicate as that Of the
English violet. On the hillsides. and
in the "passes" the red.berries OF the
sumach, and the crimson and gold OF
the ash trees frost painted foliage
have very lovely look in the glow OF
the evening sun. Deeper in the
woods, hiding like some animate
thing fearing the light, we catch
glimpses Of the vivid red Of the poi
sonous creepers glowing bright ms
the mantel Of some dusky Indian
maiden, whose silent and unseen
feet keep time to the signing of chill
winds from the valleys.
Already the forests have felt
the Frost Kings icy hand, and the
''sound Of the dropping nut is he ard, |"
and sometimes the shy deer are
tempted from their leafy coverts to
seek the browncoated acorns, and
often afford by their temerity a vel
come target for the hunters chance
shot. One of my "big boy" pupils
recently shot fine buck, when re-
turning from school by short cut
over the "Divide." The antlers adorn
our porch, now proud trophy of
schoolboys skill,
Recently coming home in the dusk
of evening we were startled by the
rush of wings, and wild turkey
swept by in terrified fight to some
hidden roosting place. The children
had that morning given me the de-
tails of a very novel battle they had
witnessed between mexican eagle
and turkey, in which the larger
fowl saved It's self from the rapacity
of the bird of prey by hidi ng inglori-
ously in thicket after the latter had
torn away some of it's feathers, and
Judging from the dilapidated plumage
adjoining the one I saw it must have
been the hero Of the morning fray.
Farmers in this section have finish
ed their fall shearing, and the poor
sheep denuded of their rightful CLOTH
ing SILVER pitifully in every blast OF
wind, and sometimes the rains drench
them immercifulty. The market is
very dull and many Of the farmers
are holding wool in hopes of improved
prices, but their patience will be put
to the test I fear, before it rises
The f. A. of the Canon still lives
against many odds, and has the pro-
mise of some additions to its mem
bership soon. Hays Co., Alliance
has made move in the right direction
in purchasing the New Braunfels
factory and if they can close with the
offer recently made by Travis Co., we
may feel indeed, that the cause is
girdipg on a stout armour for the
future. wonder that sheep men are
not more in favor of our organization,
forif ever class Of products required
the voice Of it's producers in barter,
il is the WOOL which is marketed at
San Antonio, and the ordinary pro-
Queer is forced to impotently accept
the niggardly price dictated by nor
thern middle men to commissioners
in the south, and in turn given by
them to the raiser, who realizes about
as much for his years labor as an old
spanish baker woman 1 saw vending
cakes in her native village. Her stock
in trade consisted of what is known
to American housewives as a zone
pound cake" which the old soul had
divided into about ten sections which
she offered to the passerby at 'Solo
once centavos por uno, senior" Her
ingredients, she told a purchaser cost
Just one dollar and ten cents, profit,
supposing she sold, where'
We are progressive people, but
sometimes as the Irishman says we
progress backward entirely. Cheer
up dear friends in the brave F. A.,
aud maybe by the time we count our
"golden locks" by the dozen, and